National Republican., 1887-07-20
The sugar Planters, Assoclation,

The New Orleans Times. Democrat OF the
18th instant contains the proceedi iugs Of
meeting of the 'Sugar Planters Associ.-
tion," at which twas agreed TO send a CON-
mittee to Washington to "attend the next
session Of Congress prepared to furnish all
the necessary data OF sugar culturc 10 Loui.
siana," and to "protect the su 5ar industry
from the attacks that are being made on it."
Ex Gov. Yarmouth made speech, Of
which the 7in,cs. Democrat says:
He descfit ed the position which Louisiana
occupied on the tariff question, and sIii that
it was necessary that the sugar industry
hould have Representatives. Mt Washington t
inform Congress and the people Of the Unite
States of the needs Of pro:scion. lie SAID
he feared that unless Congress could b.
made to understand The amount of capital III
vested here the sugar Interests would fall be-
tween the contcsting factions.
We have no means of knowlog what GOV.
Yarmouth said as to "the position L,us!
ana occupied on the tariff question:" but
we know that the members Of Congress
fIom that state all supported Mr.. Carlisle
for speaker of the House, and his position
is well known. They are all Democrats,
and the electoral vote Of louisiana WAS
counted for President Cleveland, and 81
the state is committed to his views and
those of his Cabinet, including Mr.. Man
ming, who said in his report that the duty
on sugar should be retained, as It was
I practically "a tariff for revenue, resembling
in that respect the duties on tea and coffee" "
So we find by the acts Of It's representa-
tiyes that the position OF Louisiana on the
tariff is "a tariff for revenue with Incl.
dental protection" provided always, as to
the "incidcntal protection" that it pro.
tects the interests of the few planters in
Louisiana who raise sugar caue, aud against
| it when 1t does not, Iu other words the
position is an utterly selfish one, for tbs
benefit not Of Louisiana, but OF the mem
bers Of the Sugar Planters Association.
This Sugar Planters Association to a
great extent controls Louisiana politics
| and It has had committees here before urg
Ing upon Congress the needs of the Louis
lana sugar planters. Notably before the
last Congress, where a!l the arguments
made by the committees, were so utterly
selfish as to disgust the congressional com
| mlttees.
Secretary Manning was right when he
| said that the duty on sugar was revenue
| duty. rs aprotective measure the impost
| levied on sugar have utterly failed, a
| of home production, aud now there is onl.
| one eleventh. Protection is intended :,
| stimulate home production, render tn
| country, to great extent, independent o
| foreign importations, and reduce prices
Unless 1t brings these results protection I
failure.
Sugar has been protected during almos
the entire existence uf the government
and no one Of the objects aimed at has bee
attained. This proves that If we ore to be
come a sugar-producing people some othe
method beside protection must be adopted
Protectio9as has made the United States tn
greatest ron-producrg nation of tn
world. 1t has placed it second, and is raj
idly making 1t first, In cotton goods, an
has made II the most Independent of Al
the natiors of the earth on foreign couu
tries for supplies, but 1t has failed to nal,
It sugar producer.
II is time to stop taxing the people c
the country s50,OO000 year to enable
few hundred men in frontier parishes c
Louisiana to grow $200OO,0OO worth {
sugar, which is only one-eleyenth OF wha
we need, The Sugar Planters AssociatIo
will find when its committee comes befoT
the next Congress that the representative
of the people are no longer to be fooled Int
the idea that the tropical sugar cane can b
grown at profit in Louisiana, and the
will also find that the genuine protectionist
will not longer agrae to keep up this rey
enue tariff Of S5O,OOO,OOO, u direct tax 0
the people TO it's fun extent, under til
guise that II is "a protective tariff